Integrated circuits are typically formed on a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer or other semiconductive material. In general, layers of various materials which are one of semiconductive, conducting or insulating are used to form the integrated circuits. By way of example, the various materials are doped, ion implanted, deposited, etched, grown, etc. using various processes. A continuing goal in semiconductor processing is to reduce the size of individual electronic components, thereby enabling smaller and denser integrated circuitry.
One type of circuit device is a capacitor. As capacitors continue to get smaller, there is a continuing challenge to obtain sufficient capacitance despite decreasing size. This has been approached by both developing improved materials and in the physical design of the capacitor, for example utilizing stacked and trenched constructions. Simple capacitors are made of two conductive electrodes separated by a dielectric region. Exemplary conductive materials for one or both of the electrodes are conductive metal nitrides, for example TiN. The invention was motivated in developing new methods of forming capacitor electrode layers containing conductive metal nitrides.
While the invention was motivated in addressing the above issues, it is in no way so limited. The invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded (without interpretative or other limiting reference to the above background art description, remaining portions of the specification or the drawings), and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.